First of all I have to say sorry. I know I could look this up my self but currently all my reloading books are boxed up... had a leaking pipe.

I have been thinking of reloading for some CAS fun. I know that you can load a 357 magnum brass with a 38 special load and have it fire, the question is what can I expect?

Will the velocity be higher than the 38 special (with the very same load) or will it be lower or will it stay the same? I know this may be a dumb question but I am looking to reloading people with more experience than my self.

__________________Shot placement is everything! I would rather take a round of 50BMG to the foot than a 22short to the base of the skull.

all 25 of my guns are 45/70 govt, 357 mag, 22 or 12 ga... I believe in keeping it simple

For some reason, I completely mis-interpreted the OP's question. Sorry about that. For an actual answer see 2 posts down.

__________________
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ- Greek:"Come and take them..." Meaning: Here we peaceably stand as armed and free men, willing to defend that peace, and ready to make war upon anyone who threatens that freedom.

I'll bet there would have been less confusion if the subject of the post had said "357 magnum brass". The human brain has a really nasty habit of seeing what it expects to see even when the words are right in front of us.

You can use 357 cases or 38 special cases in your 357. If you use a lot of 38 special cases you may get some lead buildup inside the chamber that has to be removed once in a while. You can also use light 357 loads.

The same powder charge in a larger capacity case (.357 vs .38 Spec.) will result in lower pressure/velocity...

Very true, plus the larger air space with light target loads will result in big variations in velocity, depending on type of powder* & where the powder charge is positioned in the case at the time of firing. This can be reduced a little by using a 148 gr Wad cutter style bullet or bulky powders*.

Last edited by 243winxb; September 16, 2011 at 10:09 AM.
Reason: EDIT *-depending on type of powder-bulky powders

Believe it or not, the powder makers know all about CAS and make powders for just this purpose. They bulk up larger and fill your case to prevent great variation in ignition, but are at the same time very mild. Trailboss is one of these powders.

__________________
"If the enemy is in range, so are you." - Infantry Journal

Very true, plus the larger air space with light target loads will result in big variations in velocity, depending on where the powder charge is positioned in the case at the time of firing. This can be reduced a little by using a 148 gr Wad cutter style bullet.

While what you say is certainly true, it's a little misleading. It's totally dependent on the powder used.

Take a look a Alliant's load page for CAS. I note that Alliant loads the .38 Special bullet with more powder and get more velocity than using the same bullet in the .357 magnum brass. Can anyone think why Alliant would limit the .357 loadings more than with the .38 Special ?

Take a look a Alliant's load page for CAS. I note that Alliant loads the .38 Special bullet with more powder and get more velocity than using the same bullet in the .357 magnum brass. Can anyone think why Alliant would limit the .357 loadings more than with the .38 Special

I have a suspicion that they out source there testing & just don`t ante up for alot of testing .

I load light .38 Spl type loads in .357 brass all the time. Like GP100man I use Clays for one of my favorites using a 125 Gr bullet. It is one of the least position sensitive powders at these power levels, burns clean and is accurate. A triple charge will fit in the case, so be on your toes while loading.

I like WST or Competition with plated 148 Gr HBWC's in .357 brass. I run them at 700 ish FPS. Nice accurate soft shooting load I can shoot all day. They are also fairly position insensitive at the levels, plus the WC fills much of the space in the case. Same caveat. You can double charge a case if not paying attention.

When loading .38 Spl loads in .357 cases you may need to increase the charge .1 to .2 Grs of powder, but sometimes with very fast powders you will not find a need to do so.

Quote:

Can anyone think why Alliant would limit the .357 loadings more than with the .38 Special

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